insideKENT Magazine Issue 36 - March 2015 | Page 63

vitamins

HEALTH+WELLNESS

BY LISAMARIE LAMB

OUR BODIES ARE INCREDIBLE MACHINES; THEY ALLOW US TO DO SO MUCH, TO
EXPERIENCE EVERYTHING WE COULD POSSIBLY WANT, AND WE OFTEN TAKE THEM
FOR GRANTED, SOMETIMES ONLY NOTICING THEM PARTICULARLY WHEN SOMETHING
GOES WRONG. MAYBE IT’S TIME TO TAKE A DIFFERENT VIEW OF OUR AMAZING BODIES,
WHATEVER SIZE, SHAPE OR CONDITION THEY ARE IN, AND START LEARNING HOW TO
USE THEM TO THEIR FULL ASTOUNDING POTENTIAL.

Vitamins are part of what fuels us, and our bodies
need them to maintain momentum. We have
difficulty producing all of the nutrients we need
for day-to-day life, which means we have to top
them up, and the best, most natural way to do
that is to eat them.
If we don’t get the vitamins we need, perhaps
due to illness, stress, some prescription drugs,
or a poor diet, we can become extremely ill, and
our physical, mental, and emotional states can
all be affected.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A, or betacarotene, is found in carrots,
eggs, fish, liver, leafy greens, milk, and plenty of
orange or yellow coloured fruits. Vitamin A boosts
the immune system and metabolism, and gives
you healthy skin. It is also proven to aid vision.
Without enough vitamin A, your vision will be
affected, especially at night. Prolonged lack of
vitamin A can lead to blindness. Another issue is
a compromised immune system, as well as dry
skin. Bone growth can be affected too.
Vitamin B1
Also known as thiamine, vitamin B1 is essential
for keeping the heart healthy, and for healthy
nerve function. It is also a great natural energy
booster. Eating pork, eggs, brown rice and whole
grains, potatoes, asparagus, cauliflower and liver
will give you good levels of thiamine.

A lack of vitamin B1 will leave you fatigued and
irritable. It often triggers stomach pain, and can
lead to depression or a condition called beriberi.
Beriberi causes the sufferer to have water on the
lungs, which makes it hard to breathe.
Vitamin B2
Vitamin B2 (or riboflavin) is essential to maintain
a healthy weight, as it metabolises fats and
carbohydrates quickly. It is also required for red
blood cell production – the cells that transport
oxygen around the body – and it gives you energy.
You will find plenty of vitamin B2 in legumes,
dairy, leafy greens, fish, grains, kidneys,
mushrooms and almonds.
Without it, you are likely to have a sore throat,
and find cracked, sometimes bleeding sores
around the mouth. Vitamin B2 deficiency leads
to dermatitis, split finger and toenails, and wrinkles
in the skin.
Vitamin B3
Also called niacin, vitamin B3 promotes healthy
skin and releases the energy that's hidden away
in carbohydrates. Many foods contain vitamin
B3 including carrots, broccoli, dairy, eggs, most
meat, tomatoes, nuts and grains, so it’s not too
difficult to get enough of this useful vitamin.
A lack of vitamin B3 can be extremely serious.
Symptoms include fatigue, nausea, a
compromised immune system, headaches and
lesions around the mouth. At worst, it can lead
to a condition called pellagra that affects the skin
(leading to terrible dermatitis and alopecia), the

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intestines (leading to chronic diarrhoea), and
eventually the brain (leading to aggression,
memory loss, ataxia, and eventually dementia
and death).
Vitamin B5
Pantothenic acid, or vitamin B5, does great work
in metabolising proteins, carbohydrates, and fats,
as well as enabling useful enzymes to be
synthesised. It is found in large quantities in
avocado and broccoli, as well as fish, rice,
legumes, whole grains, meats, mushrooms and
yeast.
Without enough pantothenic acid in our diets,
we feel low in energy and apathetic. Physically,
a lack of vitamin B5 causes cramps, numbness,
and paraesthesia (pins and needles). It also means
we can’t absorb insulin properly, leading to
hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar).
Vitamin B6
Also known as pyridoxine, vitamin B6 V